Sacrifice
by Not Just a Nerd
Summary: Love met him in a new name that moment- sacrifice. *JALEX* Spoiler for "Alex gives up". One-shot.


**Disclaimer: I don't own wowp. But the poem used is all mine. **

* * *

_Sacrifice._

_That's the only choice._

_When the one you love_

_Is the one competing with you._

_That's the only thing to do._

* * *

"Justin…" she trailed off, sitting on the couch in the lair, the book open in her lap, the pages flipped by the wind as loose strands of her hair tormented her face, as dreadful thoughts of a dreadful future tormented her mind, as a feeling of emptiness tugged at her heart-strings.

"Hmm?" he asked, from his seat at the desk, where five fat books were open in front of him, as he pounded on them, studying every possible spell known to wizard-kind. He was going to become the family wizard. Period.

"I can't date Mason as a mortal." She stated, her voice shaky, laced with fear, concern, worry- all the things he hated to see in her. Her eyes locked on his, glistening in a silent plea for help, gleaming in a demanding, ordering glare, and shining with tears in uncertainty.

And he knew exactly what she wanted, and exactly what she needed- his reassurance. He offered her a small uncertain smile. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

_Sacrifice._

_You hear a voice._

_Telling you to give it all up_

_For the one who needs_

_You to be the friend in deed._

* * *

"I'm gonna be the next family wizard." Max boasted during dinner, grinning smugly.

She stabbed the meat in her plate with her fork. "If I don't kill you before that." She spat darkly, eyes filled with desperate hatred. She had to hate him if she had to beat him.

"He didn't mean it that way." He cut in, cutting off the glare she was giving their little brother. "He never thought he could win. He's just happy."

Max shrugged, looking down guiltily. "I'm sorry."

She sighed, setting her plate and fork aside. "It's not your fault. I'm so sorreek. I'm just…. I really love Mason."

Her words stabbed him right in the chest, bleeding certain depths of his heart that shouldn't even have existed. It shouldn't have been this twisted, this complicated, but it was, and it was killing him to see her like that.

"Alex, honey, don't be so upset", Her mother consoled, even as her eyes were glued on her eldest son. "You know, your father gave up his powers to be with me. You never know what would happen..."

He knew what she meant, and he knew it was the right thing to do. It was what his heart had been telling him to do, screaming at him, shouting, pleading, begging, fighting with his ambitious side. And it was the exact opposite of what he had planned on doing this entire life.

Confusion was the new definition of his state of mind.

* * *

_Sacrifice. _

_You won't be able to live_

_After shattering the one_

_You want to shower with delight._

_Your future won't be bright._

* * *

"Thank you for cheering me up." She smiled, hugging him tightly.

He hugged her back, just as tightly, ignoring the tension hanging in the air about the approaching wizard competition. "I don't like to see you so sad." He whispered, rubbing her back. He wasn't a bad brother, and he wasn't a bad brother, baring the thoughts that ran through his mind when his eyes lingered on her too long.

A whimper left her lips, followed by a weary sigh.

And he knew it. There was no way he was going to let this tear his family apart. There was no way he was going to let this tear _her_ apart.

* * *

_Sacrifice._

_You can't breathe._

_With the tears she shed_

_For what you are about to take away._

_You want to lose today. _

* * *

"Max is way ahead of us, dude." Her voice was broken, exhausted, hopeless, as she stood in the battlefield, watching Max run freely for two minutes, an advantage for being ahead of them for by two levels.

Her eyes burnt with unshed tears. His heart burnt with her unshed tears.

Magic drifted to the opposite side of their little brother, as he stood stunned.

Justin tightened his hold on his wand, eyes glazed with determination. He wasn't torn anymore. "Not for long."

* * *

_Sacrifice. _

_You can't fight_

_With the one you want _

_Always by your side,_

_With you in every stride. _

* * *

She stood still, motionless, breathing, blinking and comprehending what happened.

Max was just about to reach the magic sphere, when Justin trapped him in a fire circle. She and Justin had jumped for the sphere the same second. He was about to reach it, he was just inches away. That's when he stopped moving.

The next thing she knew was that she was the family wizard.

"You won. Again." He smiled at her. "Congratulations."

She stared at him, like he was an unanswered question, like he was an exception to all his own rules, like his actions defied logic. "_Why_?" Only one syllable managed to escape her lips.

His heart trembled as he was about to say this. But if you love someone, set them free. "Now you can be with M-Mason."

The tears were finally shed. But these were tears of gratitude, tears of happiness. She hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Justin."

He had wanted to be the family wizard since he was a kid. It was THE purpose of his life. He had been working on it for as long as he could remember. There was no way he ever wanted to give it up. Just like he never wanted to give her up to someone else.

He hugged her back as she her breathing slowed to a steady rhythm, as her scent mingled with the breeze in the air, sending magical tingles all over him. Not even all the magic in the universe would have felt this way.

And then she broke apart from him, running as fast as she could. "MASON!"

And he stood there, alone, fighting back the tears of dual defeat, and plastering a smile on his face.

Love met him in a new name that moment- sacrifice.

* * *

_Sacrifice._

_You'd be alright_

_After you give it all up._

_You didn't need to think twice._

_You wanted to sacrifice. _

**

* * *

(A/N: I'm such a poetry freak. I don't even know why I started writing stories in the first place :P Anyways, hope you like it, even though this didn't have a happy ending. Please review. Thanks for reading. I have one more one-shot coming up soon.)**


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